CHFA | Psychology Department Showcase: Projects In-Progress
Emotionality and Performance Across Olympic Shooting Sports
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Senior
Major
Psychology
Minor
Sports Communication
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Dr. Esther Malm
Presentation Format
Oral Presentation - Murray State Access only
Abstract/Description
Rifle, pistol, and shotgun have been part of the Olympic Games since 1896. Rifle and pistol consist of shooting at a stationary target at varying distances with different firearms. Shotgun is the only discipline that involves shooting at flying targets, called clays. In order to perform these skills well, the athlete needs to have mastered the technical and mental aspects of shooting. Across sports, mental training has shown a positive correlation with an athlete’s performance. Experience level also can dictate the ability of a given athlete to handle high-stress situations. Athletes in shooting sports need to be able to properly handle a wide range of emotions as well; competitions can create a significant amount of emotionality that ranges from joy to anger. Aggression is a topic that comes up frequently when discussing sports. As a result, the media tends to associate anything relative to shooting or guns as aggressive and violent. Given this implication, shooting is commonly perceived as aggressive. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between emotionality and performance in shooting sports, with an emphasis on the rifle community. We hypothesized that there will be a negative correlation between how one’s personality affects aggression levels and their fear of failure when performing. Data collection is ongoing.
Keywords: shooting sports, aggression, fear of failure, personality
Fall Scholars Week 2023 Event
Psychology: Projects In-Progress
Emotionality and Performance Across Olympic Shooting Sports
Rifle, pistol, and shotgun have been part of the Olympic Games since 1896. Rifle and pistol consist of shooting at a stationary target at varying distances with different firearms. Shotgun is the only discipline that involves shooting at flying targets, called clays. In order to perform these skills well, the athlete needs to have mastered the technical and mental aspects of shooting. Across sports, mental training has shown a positive correlation with an athlete’s performance. Experience level also can dictate the ability of a given athlete to handle high-stress situations. Athletes in shooting sports need to be able to properly handle a wide range of emotions as well; competitions can create a significant amount of emotionality that ranges from joy to anger. Aggression is a topic that comes up frequently when discussing sports. As a result, the media tends to associate anything relative to shooting or guns as aggressive and violent. Given this implication, shooting is commonly perceived as aggressive. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between emotionality and performance in shooting sports, with an emphasis on the rifle community. We hypothesized that there will be a negative correlation between how one’s personality affects aggression levels and their fear of failure when performing. Data collection is ongoing.
Keywords: shooting sports, aggression, fear of failure, personality